About the Department
Step into a leadership role where your accounting expertise drives meaningful impact for an entire city! The City of Fresno is seeking a dynamic Principal Accountant to lead key financial operations, guide talented teams, and impact accounting practices. If you’re ready to bring your professional insight, strategic thinking, and supervisory experience to a role that truly matters, apply now!
Duties may include but are not limited to the following:
- Lead and coordinate key accounting operations
- Supervise and guide accounting staff
- Manage preparation of the City’s Annual Financial Report
- Serve as liaison with external auditors
- Maintain and monitor financial records and budgets
- Improve accounting methods, systems, and procedures
- Provide guidance on financial policies and practices
- Oversee specialized financial reports and analysis
- Apply tax law updates to ensure compliance
- Performs related duties as required
Duties and schedules may vary by assignment, please inquire about specific duties and/or schedules if called upon for an interview.
Explore the job specification for additional position details.
The current vacancy exists in the Finance Department. Immediate and future vacancies will be filled from this eligible list for a period of three (3) months from the date the eligible list is created, with the option of extending that period at the City's discretion. If the examination process is suspended for this recruitment, the eligible list may be limited to three (3) months. Please note that future vacancies may have a different assignment and varied duties than listed above.
The Requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications on or before the posted filing deadline in order to qualify for the examination and does not assure a place on the eligibility list:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in accounting, business administration, public administration, or a related field;
AND
Two (2) years of supervisory experience, preferably in a public sector organization.
Applicants MUST ATTACH A COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS for education verification. Applications lacking the attachment may be rejected.
Additional Requirements
Possession of a valid license as a Certified Public Accountant issued by the State of California Board of Accountancy is desirable.
Eligibles certified for consideration for this position will be required to successfully pass a Department interview and a Department of Justice fingerprint process prior to employment with the City of Fresno.
The Selection Process
The examination process may consist of the following:
APPLICATION REVIEW - Qualifying Only: Applications which meet the minimum qualifications will be reviewed and a limited number of the MOST qualified candidates will be invited to the oral examination. Selection of the most qualified candidates will be based upon those applications demonstrating the greatest breadth and depth of applicable education, experience, skills, and training. Therefore, applicants are urged to submit sufficiently detailed information in their application materials for a proper evaluation.
Oral Examination - 100%: A panel of subject matter experts will conduct a job-related oral examination to evaluate a candidate which may include, but is not limited to, the following areas: Accounting and Technical Expertise, Leadership and Supervision, Process Improvement and Analytical Skills, Interpersonal, Communication Skills, and/or other job-related topics.
Candidates must achieve a passing score to qualify for the eligible list.
The oral exam is tentatively scheduled for the week of June 29th, 2026.
Veteran’s Preference
If an examination is conducted for a position within the classified service, qualified veterans who pass the examination will have five (5) points added to their final score. Candidates must submit a copy of their DD214 Member 4 form or electronic copy indicating honorable discharge with each application prior to the filing deadline.